Sunrise
by Ichihime
Summary: Conversations, sunrises, dreams - or nightmares - and three plants in a window. Connected short stories. Naruto-centric. Pre-genin.
1. Sunrise

Sunrise

* * *

Naruto watched as the sun slowly started to rise on the horizon. He could see the red and yellow mixing as they spread out on the sky. Finally they decided to form a deep shade of orange. The orange stood in contrast to the deep-blue colour that was the backdrop. The blue changed as time went by, slowly but surely.

And Naruto watched it all.

Sitting above the head of the fourth, he got a brilliant view of the sunrise. He loved watching it. Almost as much as ramen, he decided. And for him, that was pretty much.

Someone chuckled behind him and he hastily turned around. It was the old man.

"So, what are you doing up here this early, Naruto-kun?"

Unlike other adults, his voice only held kindness when he spoke to Naruto.

"I'm watching the sunrise." He turned his back to the old man and continued his watching. He shifted slightly so that the adult could take his place beside him.

They sat there for a while, neither speaking. It was a comfortable silence, though unusual for the boy.

"Today is your big day, isn't it, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto grinned while thinking about his dream's first step.

"Yup. Now I can become a ninja, and then I'm gonna take your title away from you in no time!" Naruto stood up while he declared this to the world. He heard chuckling beside him. He pouted. "It's not funny!"

A hand reached up and ruffled his golden hair. Naruto held himself stiffly for a moment before leaning into the rare touch.

"I never said that. But it is going to take some time. You know this, do you not, Naruto-kun?"

The boy frowned, before crossing his arms in defiant manner.

"You will have to go through the academy first and then you can become a ninja. But even so it will take some time to become strong. But as long as you protect your loved ones, you will become strong."

Naruto was silent for a moment.

"Like... you, Ayame-neechan and Teuchi-ojisan?" The young boy looked curiously at the old man.

The old man smiled at him for a moment before he looked up at the sky.

"Yes, Naruto-kun."

"Then I will become strong enough to protect you!"

"I'm sure you will, Naruto-kun."

Another silent moment.

"Who are your loved ones?" Naruto asked.

The old man pointed to something beneath them. Naruto couldn't find the person.

"Huh, who do you mean, old man?"

"The whole village are my loved ones. For them I will fight, kill and die for. As every Hokage do."

"Then I will do so too!"

The old man smiled at him, before he looked back at the sky again. The orange had turned into yellow from the sun and the sky complimented that with an azure colour. The day had begun.

"You should get ready. You have to be at the academy in an hour, Naruto-kun, and I have to get back to work."

"What do you have to do?"

"Paperwork." He sighed.

Naruto scrunched up his face in confusion.

"I thought you said that paperwork was boring. Why do you do something that is boring?"

"It is my duty as the Hokage."

The old man ruffled his hair and stood up. Naruto slowly got up too.

"But why do something you don't like?"

"This is also a part of protecting your loved ones. Just not through fighting."

"So I will have to do it too?"

"Yes. As a Hokage you will have to."

"I don't want to!" He pouted for a bit and then he bit his lip. "But I will if it is for Ayame-neechan, Teuchi-ojisan and you."

The old man smiled down at him and took his hand.

"Come on, Naruto-kun. It would be bad to be late on your first day. Better not have a reputation for being late."

"Yeah. I'm going to be the best ninja there and then I'm going to make sure no one can hurt my loved ones."

"You surely will, Naruto-kun." They started to go down the stairs leading to and away from the monument, while the boy still was lost in thought.

'_I'm going__ to become the best Hokage ever and then I will protect this village. That's a promise! And I'll never break a promise. A promise is for forever!'_

* * *

Next: _Children's Games_


	2. Children's Games

Children's Games

* * *

He notices, watching from afar, that children are always happier when they play with others. It's like they get the strength to be happy only when they are together. They have nothing when they are alone. All children know that, if only in the deepest, darkest corners of their minds. But they know it.

He does too. If only because he has never had their happiness. He has never had the chance to be with others like that. Laughing. Playing. Hanging out. It has never been a part of his world.

Not that he hasn't tried.

But he has never succeeded.

He will slowly walk closer to them, he plans, a grin plastered on his face. He's nervous, always so nervous, but he refuses to show it. As he nears them he suddenly stops, takes a deep breath, gathering oxygen and bravery, before he edges just a bit closer, allowing them to see him.

"Hi."

All eyes are on him. Some bear disgust, others bear shyness and curiosity. For some he is known, for others unknown.

It's the adults, always the adults. They hate him.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Can I play with you?"

As they are about to answer an adult spots him and is moving in their direction. Naruto is roughly shoved away, before the children are told to go home and get away from the _monster_.

_Monster_.

He hates that word, even though he can't understand it, can't understand why they use it. Why is he a _monster_?

He has never been mean to anyone. He has always tried his best. He tries to be kind to others. Everything he has been told is right. And yet... No one has ever said anything really nice to him. Monster isn't the worst word he has heard.

He walks away, defeated, his eyes hot with unshed tears. He holds them in. Crying doesn't help. Never has. Never will. That's what he always tells himself.

He takes a seat on a vacated swing, letting himself sway a bit in the wind. Crying doesn't help. He repeats that to himself, trying to make the words real. Doesn't help, doesn't help, _doesn't_ help.

A tear trails down his chin, hanging for a second before it drops. That's the only tear that will ever come. He won't cry any more tears because of them.

He can hear shouting and when he looks up from the ground he finds that it's already evening. He forgets the time often. No one is waiting for him at home. Why should he remember?

Naruto looks around tiredly and notices that a gang of four or five boys is coming closer to him. Their eyes are glinting with hatred and anger.

They shove him off the swing before they start on his weekly beating. As they do their work, you could they say that they are happy, at least if you look at their grins and hear their laughter.

However, the boy on the receiving end is not.

He holds in any sound he makes. They are of no use. No one will come and save him. He has tried getting help before, but they always turn away as if they have never seen him.

Naruto can't understand why.

He always helps other children that get bullied. He can't stand to watch it and he won't allow it to happen if he can avoid it.

He remembers helping a little girl with bubblegum hair. He doesn't remember what it was, but they teased her for something and she was crying helplessly in front of them. She looked so sad and frail and he couldn't leave her.

He involved himself. Throwing a fist at the leader. Telling the girl to run. She got away, he didn't.

Naruto never gets away. No one helps him and he can't do anything but bear it.

He lies there, ten minutes later, and the other boys have left. He doesn't try to stand. He doubts he can.

Children are mean, he thinks.

That this always happens is a fact that he has accepted, though not willingly. But that doesn't mean that he will give in. Some day things may change. Some day he will change them.

_Only weaklings give in_, he thinks to himself. _And I will never give in. Never!_

* * *

Next:_ Nightmare_


	3. Nightmare

**Nightmare**

* * *

It happens during the night.

Oh, they tell him it's a nightmare. Just a dream, and can he _please_ go back to sleep now?

Naruto knows better.

They can't hear it, but he most certainly can. The voice that whispers darkly in the night, begging to be let out.

But he won't. He swears he won't do it.

Naruto hides under his old blanket and uses a pillow as a wall, clinging to the corner. The voice whispers and whispers.

Let me _out._

Sometimes it's the voice of a child, but at other times Naruto is certain that it is a monster. Its voice, innocent in one moment, but filled with hatred in another. That's when Naruto clings to the walls and whispers a plea for it to not hurt him.

They won't _care_, but won't you please leave me alone? _Please?_

Naruto tries to block it out, closing his eyes and picturing the room as it is in the light. But the fantasy disappears in a moment and there's only darkness for him to hide in. The ones who said that if you can't see the monster, the monster can't see you, are liars. Naruto _knows_ it can see him.

He ignores the imaginary child's broken whispers for release and tries to convince himself that it's not real. The matron says it isn't. However, the pain in that child's voice sounds much too real and the fury in the monster's voice can't be just a dream, it just can't. It's all much too real. But they won't believe him.

Can't I stay with you?

Uzumaki, go back to bed.

It'll get me then!

It's just a dream. Go back to sleep.

But…

_Now!_

Naruto knows it's more than a dream. In his dreams there is fire and he's never cold. He never shivers like he does when the monster and the child pleads with him. He never huddles in the corner, hoping for morning to come. Never in his dreams, only when awake.

Hoping for sunrise to chase away all of his horrors.

He doesn't sleep during those nights, with the gnawing fear in his stomach.

Every time he considers trying to obey the monster and the child one thought resounds through his mind:

_Don't!_

So he doesn't.

Instead he huddles in the corner and merely tries to endure it. He has to believe that morning will come. And it always does, even when he doesn't expect it to.

But in the middle of the night the morning is far away -maybe just a dream- and Naruto can't really say no to the monster or the child.

How?

_Release_ me!

The monster roars when he tries to say that he doesn't know how.

Please, let me _out_!

I don't know _how_!

And the child cries in terror.

No matter what he says the matron won't believe him. The only thing that saves him during the night is his ignorance. In the morning he knows that he would regret helping the voices, he knows that they aren't right, but in the night those thoughts disappear.

As he stands in the light of the sun after another sleepless night he hopes that he'll never know how to help those voices, because if he did he would. He would help them if he could.

And he knows that he shouldn't. He knows that helping would be bad. He doesn't know how he knows it; he only knows that he knows.

It's only a nightmare, he tries to assure himself.

Naruto knows it isn't.

* * *

Next: _Diversion_


	4. Diversion

Diversion

* * *

Naruto sits at the edge of his chair and avoids looking into the old face in front of him. He knows his emotions will change; his anger will slip away from him when he does look. It'll hurt inside of him, the guilt, when he looks.

"Why don't you go to the academy, Naruto-kun?"

That voice; so calm, so unaffected. Naruto squirms as he rubs his neck purely in reaction to the nervousness he's feeling.

"I remember you wanted to go there. I do believe you even said you would give up on ramen if only you would be allowed to go, a year early at that."

Naruto doesn't answer. He doesn't want to be reasoned with. Can't the old man just leave him alone?

"You so wanted to go there that first day. Do you not want to be a ninja anymore? Have you given up on your dream?"

Naruto chances a quick glance up on that face and quickly looks down again when he sees the disappointed face gazing down at him. He feels guilty for all the trouble he's given the man before him, but in a way he's angry.

It's not fair.

"Well, if you want to go to the civilian school instead that could be arranged…"

"No…" Naruto whispers. He doesn't want to not be a ninja. He wants to learn, but… "I want to stay."

"Then you must go to your lessons then, Naruto-kun. Skipping doesn't help anyone. You need to learn to become a ninja. Knowledge is valuable in all forms. I want you to be able to protect yourself before you become a genin."

But they don't want him there. Those looks… And the names they call him. It's unfair. He doesn't belong there.

"Will you start going again? Naruto-kun?"

"I don't belong there."

"Don't say that. I'm sure once you start going and get some friends in the class it'll be fine."

"They don't want to be my friends. The adults tell them not to."

"I'm sure you're wrong. Maybe they're just a bit shy?"

"Shy?"And Naruto looks up "No. Why don't they want to be my friend, old man? Why don't they like me? The adults call me names. You said that wasn't nice, yet they do it. Shouldn't you do something? Can't you?"

"Naruto-kun-"

"You're the Hokage! Can't you tell them to not look at me like that? Not to call me monster or whatever they want to?"

"It's not that easy."

"You're the Hokage. You're the leader."

"And they are my charges." A pause as the Hokage stands up and puts the hat on his head. "Why don't we go out for ramen, Naruto-kun? You can have as much as you want."

For a moment Naruto looks at the Hokage with something resembling resentment before he finally sighs and gets up. "As much as I want?"

"As much as you want," the Hokage answers. The old man closes his eyes for a long moment before smiling softly down at the boy in front of him. "You can have as much as you want, Naruto-kun."

As long as it's ramen, Naruto thinks.

* * *

Next: _Idols_


	5. Idols

Idols

* * *

The one to the left is Ukki-chan. He is vibrant with life and always stands tall, even in the face of the harsh summer sun. He drinks more water than any of the others and always seems to need a new pot every second month.

Ukki-chan is his favorite.

There is nothing pretty about him. He is just green and ordinary. Large leaves hanging onto the stem of the plant. He is the most normal-looking plant as well. Naruto likes it.

And it is comforting to be needed, if for nothing else than water, every second day. Naruto likes that very much.

It is to Ukki-chan that Naruto goes when he feels like crying. Ukki-chan shows him how to stand tall no matter what.

To the right is Hana-chan, who is vibrant with colours, if not life. She hangs with her yellow-red flowers down to the floor and does not drink much water at all. But when she needs it she really needs it. Naruto knows that it is good for her to dry out most of the time before receiving more water. He keeps track of that and sometimes gazes at her in wonder for hours.

She is like a sunrise when she stands in the window against the bright blue sky. It is beautiful and calming.

Naruto looks at Hana-chan whenever he starts to wonder whether it is worth it or not. Her colours help him block out the constant stream of abuse – _monster, freak, liar, demon, monster, freak_ – running in his mind.

If only he could make everything as beautiful. He cannot, but she gives him hope for a change.

She gives him the maybe.

Maybe one day…

Maybe, maybe, maybe…

In the middle, taller than both Ukki-chan and Hana-chan, is Bo-san. He resembles a small tree. He never changes despite anything that happens. He never bends, he never loses a leaf and he always wants one cup of water every five days.

Bo-san is sturdy and can take a lot.

Naruto pictures Bo-san whenever he has to do something he does not want to do. Bo-san is always strong and when Naruto has done what he has to do Bo-san will be there to look at and take reassurance from. He will endure.

Ukki-chan, Hana-chan and Bo-san are Naruto's friends. They are always there and never leave. They never judge, like Naruto's teachers do, and they are never too busy for him, like the old man so often is.

They are the roots that support him.

He gives them care and they give him what he needs.

Naruto wants to be like them; stand tall like Ukki-chan, create beauty like Hana-chan does and endure unchanged like Bo-san can.

The picture they create as they stand in the window with the canvas of the sky behind them is something Naruto will always remember.

They are his.

* * *

Next: _Hug_

_AN: As there seems to be very little interest in this I'll probably end it after the next chapter. _


	6. Hug

Hug

* * *

It hurts.

His skin is raw and angry and broken in places, and he can't quite contain his own sounds of pain. Something tells him that this is weakness, but at the moment Naruto doesn't care. It hurts and it shouldn't.

Naruto rubs at his eyes, trying to remove the hot tears that are threatening to spring forth, and avoids looking at the old man in front of him. He's just a little scared.

The old man has never talked much to him before, but he has seen him being nice to other children, patting them on the head and smiling kindly at them. It wasn't like that for him. The moment the old man had looked at him an angry expression had spread across his face.

Naruto isn't sure what that means and, even though the old man has never hurt him before, he's just a little scared.

Adults can't be trusted; that was one of the first lessons he learned. They won't help you and sometimes they may harm you, like what had just happened. He didn't get hurt on his own. Despite what the matron might claim. They lied.

The old man, with the weird hat and robe looking clothes, is dabbing something wet and painful onto his wounds. There are already bandages around the deeper ones, made by knife looking weapons. Naruto doesn't know what they're called, but he knows that they hurt more than plain knives and that they leave larger wounds. He's only putting up with the painful dabbing because the old man used a firm voice to tell him to stay put. Naruto doesn't dare disobey. He doesn't want to be hurt again.

There's this almost painful feeling in his chest, caused by no visible wound, and the few times Naruto has tried speaking a lump in his throat has kept the words from coming out. He doesn't look at the old man's face, afraid of what he might find there, and he avoids thinking as much as he can. Thinking just makes it harder to keep the tears back. He concentrates on the pain instead and lets it drown out everything else.

"Naruto?" a soft voice says to him and Naruto looks up in wonder. So few people call him 'Naruto'. It's always 'Uzumaki', 'brat', 'monster' and other variations. Naruto doesn't know why, but people calling him 'Naruto' is a novelty.

He nods after a moment of contemplation and looks into the old man's face. It's furrowed and wrinkled, but there's a kind expression facing him. Naruto isn't scared anymore, just curious and slightly wary.

There's a hand resting on his leg and he is so very aware of it resting there. He can feel heat warming his skin through his shorts and he marvels at the touch. No one ever comes that close to him. He's seen people cross the street to avoid him and even at the orphan's home there's no one that wants to be close to him.

Any touch is purely necessary or just to hurt him, but this is so much gentler. It's so foreign that Naruto doesn't quite know how to react.

The old man is looking at him without saying a word and Naruto can't quite focus on anything other than that hand. He doesn't know if he wants it to stop or if he wants it to continue. He's somehow certain that the old man would stop if he told him to. That's reassuring.

"How are you feeling, child?"

"Okay," Naruto croaks and immediately blushes in shame. He shouldn't have spoken. The one word sounded so strange coming from his mouth in that moment. He feels weird.

The old man just continues to look at him before he too nods once. He removes his hand and Naruto misses it just a bit.

Naruto doesn't know why he gets hurt like that or why the old man helps him. It's new and he hasn't yet had a chance to think upon it.

It hurts though.

No one else his age gets hurt like this. They all seem happy and he isn't.

A little voice is telling him that it isn't fair.

Another tells him that he is fool to expect the world to be so.

Naruto doesn't even notice that he's crying until the old man draws him into an embrace and he feels his tears disappear into the white cloth.

The feeling of the hug is unlike anything he's ever felt. He's safe and secure and even though it hurts it isn't that bad anymore. It feels good; infinitely better than the hand.

"It's going to be alright, Naruto," the old man whispers into his hair.

Naruto wonders if it would be too much to ask for one more of those hugs. He doesn't want to seem greedy.

* * *

_AN: I might in the future add on to this, but in general I will consider it complete. I have no further ideas for this at the moment. I very much do enjoy feedback though._


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